The Indian Air Force (IAF) is considering the possibility of replacing its Antonov-32 (AN-32) planes with the C-295s to modernise its transport fleet when the Soviet-origin workhorse comes up for retirement sometime after 2030, senior officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The C-295 medium transport aircraft, which will be manufactured in India jointly by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and European firm Airbus Defence and Space, comes as a replacement for the IAF’s fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered service in the early 1960s.
There’s a growing consensus within the air force on the C-295s being the right fit to replace the AN-32s, said one of the officials cited above, asking not to be named.
